Kate D

Central England

AboutKate D

Hello! I’m Kate and I live with my husband in the beautiful countryside in East Anglia, but only about an hour away from London. I used to work in International Language Summer Schools for Young Learners, starting as a TEFL teacher, then as a Director of Studies, Centre Manager and finally as the manager looking after 7 different schools across England.

Academic information

I started teaching English after completing my TEFL course in Paris just after graduating from university. Since then I have worked in many summer schools, as well as teaching Callan method in London, so I’m used to working with students of all ages and nationalities. I’ve also spent lots of time working abroad in the Ski Industry mostly in France

Courses taught

Family information

I grew up in Scotland (but I don’t have a strong accent!) and now live in rural Essex with my husband Paul and our outdoor cat. We’re in our early 30s. After living in London we love having lots of space here. We even got married in our garden! I love being outside and enjoy growing things in our garden and Paul loves baking cakes. I also compete in Triathlons – swimming, cycling and running. There are lots of wonderful places here for walking, running or riding a bike. Paul enjoys playing tennis and we have our own court which students are welcome to use, and we know a great instructor who can visit us.

Kate’s Photos

About the teacher’s accommodation

Our home is a traditional Wooden Barn from the 17th Century in a huge garden with a tennis court, a pond and fruit trees. The room is a double with great views and has a private bathroom with bath and shower. We have a big kitchen with a traditional stove and students are welcome to get involved in cooking if they like. In the summer we like to use the terrace for meals when the weather is good.

About the local area

We live in the country, about 2 miles from a pretty traditional village with shops, pubs, a pharmacy and a post office. We are very close to Suffolk and areas which feature in the paintings of Constable and Gainsborough. The wonderful university town of Cambridge is about an hour north, the seaside is about an hour east, London is about an hour south west.

Excursions you can take with your teacher

Cambridge – Visit the University Town and see inside one of the colleges.

Cost: Free

Dedham Vale and Constable Country – Walk around the beautiful riverside area where Constable painted his famous paintings, have a look at the museum and then visit the ancient village of Dedham for a traditional afternoon tea with local strawberry jam.

Cost: Free

Tennis lesson – Our friendly local tennis coach, David will visit the house and give you a private 1 hour lesson on our own tennis court.

Cost: Free (extra lessons can be arranged for a fee)

London day trip – If you have time for a full day excursion, we can take a trip by car and train to London. We will start with a walking tour, taking in some of the main sights including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and later visit a food market or museum.

Cost: Rail ticket around £25 – otherwise Free

Seaside trip – Drive to the East coast of England to a traditional seaside town for a walk along the seafront to see the colourful beach huts, and the old fashioned high street.